Hope 101: Supporting and Overcoming

Hope International graduates and university scholarship recipients Lorenzo Shasha and Augustine Ballah Kolubah

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Last week you read about the amazing staff that educates nearly 1,500 students and lays the foundation for them to further their education should the opportunity arise to attend university. Augustine and Lorenzo are two Hope graduates who, through the generosity of this stateside community, were able to pursue their university degrees. They are set to graduate this upcoming semester with degrees in Agriculture and Engineering. Augustine shared their story of friendship and gratitude.

“Our friendship began in 2015 when we were in the 9th grade at Hope International School. At that time, Lorenzo attended the morning session while I attended the evening session. Despite this difference, we met and quickly became close friends.

We both faced many challenges growing up. Lorenzo lived with his uncle, who was physically disabled, and often helped his aunt at her cook shop by washing dishes after school. He also took on part-time work at a sanitation center, cleaning tools such as shovels and wheelbarrows, and even organized study classes all to support him with school fees and basic needs.

Similarly, I faced my own struggles. I lived with my older sister and worked as a bar attendant after school. At times, I also did part-time construction work to support my education. Being without a father and with my mother working hard in the interior, I had to take responsibility for my schooling.

Despite these challenges, our friendship remained strong. Throughout our time in high school, we studied together daily, encouraged one another, and pushed ourselves to succeed. We shared notes, brainstormed ideas, and supported each other through every difficulty. Our dedication paid off out of 96 students in our 12th-grade class, Lorenzo graduated as the valedictorian, while I graduated as the salutatorian. From the time we met, we made it our goal to always strive for excellence, and we achieved it together.

Lorenzo was especially helpful in subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and physics, where he consistently supported our studies. His determination and willingness to help others made him not only a great friend but also an inspiring partner in our academic journey.

After high school, we both enrolled at Stella Maris Polytechnic University. Even though we pursued different courses, we continued to spend time together commuting on the same bus, sharing meals, and supporting one another. After three semesters, we made the decision together to transfer to the University of Liberia.

Although it was a difficult decision, we remained determined. We both sat for the University of Liberia entrance examination and were successful. Since then, our bond has remained unbroken. At the University of Liberia, we continue to motivate one another, share ideas, and strive for excellence. Today, we are proud to be on the verge of graduating.

Looking back, we realize that our friendship has been a cornerstone of our success. We have learned from each other, grown together and overcome many challenges side by side.

We would like to dedicate this achievement to you who made this possible. Your support has played a vital role in our journey, and we are grateful. Thank you for believing in us and investing in our future.”

Their story of grit, determination, and enduring friendship is a gift to us all.

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Through the gifts so many of you have shared, 17 additional Hope International graduates have also received scholarships to attend university. Many, many others have also been provided vocational scholarships over the years. Thank you for your partnership that provides educational opportunities and supports the future Liberia all the students are dreaming of.

Hope 101: Investments and Beautiful Returns

Just as Liberia has had a slow post-war rebuilding, Hope International too has had a slow rebuilding. When we opened the doors in 2008, the school was a leased, abandoned cluster of buildings. It was the thing the community in Liberia desired most. More than food support or medical supplies, the community wanted a place for their children to learn.

From where we started, to where we are now, is nothing short of miraculous. Together, with you our stateside community and our Liberian partners, a place has been created that exudes dignity and possibility and hope.

As amazing as all of this is, without the 70+ Liberian teachers and support staff it would just be a campus, a beautiful shell. This staff has worked tirelessly to create a community within the community that shelters, supports and educates students, reminding them daily they are who puts the Hope in Hope International.

The staff created a night school to support adults in the community who didn't have the opportunity to attend school as children and volunteered their time to teach, eventually leading to paid positions. They give of their teacher's salaries to pay registration fees for so many children whose parents cannot afford them. They support their extended families throughout Liberia.

They, buoyed by you and funded through the generosity you share with Hope, are the foundation of what has been made possible. 

Hope 101: Where Hope Steps In

The educational landscape in Liberia faces many challenges resulting in poor learning outcomes and massive dropout rates.

First the hard news:

• According to World Bank, UNESCO, and other organizations, Liberia, like many other African countries, is facing a learning crisis. In sub-Saharan Africa, learning poverty, defined as the share of children unable to read and understand age-appropriate text by age 10, is estimated at 89%.

• According to the 2023 World Bank Human Capital Index, Liberia ranks second to last out of 156 countries in education.

• UNICEF estimates only about 54% of children complete primary education in Liberia. This means roughly 46% of children who start primary school do not finish. Fifteen to 20% of children aged 6 to 14 are not in school at all.

Post-civil war rebuilding of civic structures (literal and figurative) has been painfully slow and incredibly challenging.

Hope International was founded 18 years ago and exists today within this complex structure of education in Liberia. The students who attend Hope are students throughout the community (and beyond) who would likely attend public school if Hope didn't exist. During our times in Liberia, we have had the opportunity to visit many public schools and see firsthand the challenges these hardworking educators and eager students face. According to Human Rights Watch, public schools are often overcrowded, under-resourced, and reliant on low-paid or volunteer teachers.

Fees to attend public school are not attainable to many families. They are required to pay an annual fee, as well as compounding costs, and provide their own materials. At Hope International, families pay an annual registration fee (which is between $25 to $35 per year based on grade level). Even this fee is prohibitive for many and the staff at Hope work to identify and support these families, with many teachers paying these fees for students out of pocket. Scholarships are also granted.

Your partnership steps in alongside paying teacher salaries and extra fees and building a campus that houses all the educational opportunities.

One of the biggest differences between Hope International and a public school is that public schools are not allowed to cap enrollment. We visited schools that had three to four sessions a day to accommodate the number of students enrolled. The classrooms were incredibly crowded and the resources scarce.

It is no wonder parents and the community extend such gratitude for Hope International and this amazing place that functions with the accessibility and student demographic of public school, but has the stabilizing support of this generous community.

Each year when registration opens the lines are so very long. The number of families wanting to enroll far exceeds the space and staffing capacity. The campus that has been built, the science and computer labs offered, the talented staff that supports the students, have created educational opportunities that are not usually available to the general population.

The school community created over the last 18 years shines so very bright. What we have all had a part in building, solidifying, and supporting will have beautiful returns now and in the decades to come.